Valve-control mechanism for gas-engines.



a] T NESSES 5 J. L. SIMMONS. VALVE 'GONTROL MECHANISM FOR GAS ENGINES;

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 19, 1911. 1,120,553, PatentedDec. s, 1914.

3 MEETS-SHEET 1.

J. L. SIMMONS. VALVE CONTROL MEOHANISM FOR GAS ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 19, 1911. 7 1,120,553, Patented Dec. 8,1914,

8 SHEETS-SHBET 8.

INVENTOR I WM Allorneyg J. L. SIMMONS.

VALVE CONTROL MECHANISM FOR GAS ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 19, 1911.

1 ,-1 20,553. Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

3 SHEETS SHEET 3.

E66. 0'. 27/ 9 JJ I I %PVIT1VESS%M I w J IJVVEZVTOR UNITED STATES PATENT curios;

J'AMES LEE SIMMONS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO GYRO MOTOR COMPANY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, A CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

VALVE-CONTROL MECHANISM FOR GAS-EN GIN ES;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

Application filed May 19, 1911. Serial No. 628,339.

To all whom it may concern go it known that I, JAMES LEE SmrMoNs, a 'tizen of the United States, residlngat lVashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valve-Control Mechanism for Gasgines, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in rotary gas engines, and more especially to gas engines of the type wherein a plurality of cylinders are carried by a rotating casing, and wherein a piston in each cylinder: cooperates with a station-' ary crank vto rotate the casing and cylinders.

An object of the invention is to provide devices for relieving the compression in the cylinders, so that the amount of compression andspeed of the engine, may be regulated,

the main purpose of which is to aid in the cranking and starting of the engine.

In the drawings which 'show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention,Figure 1 is a side view with parts in section and parts broken away, showing a rotary engine with my improvements applied thereto; Fig. 2 is an end view of the same, also showing parts in section; ig. 3 is a detail view, showing the cam for con trolling the levers which operate the exhaust valves, and the manually-controlled cam operating upon said levers at certain intervals during the compression stroke; Fig. 4 is a side view of the parts shown in lever for the exhaust valve being omitted; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the lever for operating one of the exhaust valves; and Fig. 6 is a detail view, showing the lever for oper-, ating an exhaust valve, with the rotating cam and stationary controlling cam in section. Fig. 7 is adet'iiil showing the gears for operating the controlling cam.

In the drawings I have shown the invention as applied to a rotary cylinder'gas engine, which consists of a casing 1 carrying a plurality of cylinders 2. As herein shown, the casing carries seven cylinders. This casing 1 is mounted to rotate upon fixed bearings, which bearings are connected with a crank shaft 3. In each'cylinder is a piston 4,"to which is pivot-ally attached a connect; ing rod 5. The connecting rod 5 of each cyl- Fig. 3, the

have provided a cam 16.

'the cylinders.

inder engages suitable ball bearings carried by the crank 3;

In eachpiston at is an opening, which is controlled by an intake valve 6. Said intake valve 6, asherein shown, with a stem sliding in a suitable bearing and a controlling lever 7 engaging with said stem. This controlling lever is operated by a centrifugal member 8, which during the rotation of the cylinder, operates to open the intake valve at the proper time to take in the charge, and also to close the. valve to allow the gases in the cylinder to "be compressed. This intake valve and its operating mechanism form no part of the present invention, and have been merely referred to as illustrating one form of intake valve, whichmay be used in connection with my inventlon.

Each cylinder inthe outer end thereof is formed with an opening to allow the discharge of the burnt gases. This opening is controlled by a valve 9. The valve 9 is formed with a stem 10, which slides in suitable bearingscarried by a spider support 11, threaded into the outer end of the cylinder.

A lever 12 is pivoted to a bracket 13, carried by the cylinder, and one end of the lever 12 is pivotally connected with the stem the cylinders.

As a means for opening the exhaust valves in the cylinders relation to the rotation of the cylinders, I This cam 16'is connected with a gear 17 free to turn about the supporting shaft for the engine casing. The gear 17 is rotated by a gear 18, which is fixed to a gear 19 which. meshes with a gear 20, which is fixed so as to rotate with tating gear 17, which carries the cam 16. These gears are so proportioned in a seven-cylinder rotary cam 16 will be rotated four times for seven rotations of the cylinder. of the operating cam 16, the exhaust valves will beactuated so that alternate cylinders mounted so as to travel with in the proper timed engine, as herein shown, that said is provided The gears 18 and 19 are stationary relative tothe cylinders and the rogear 20 will impart a rotation to the y By this timing I -the firing of the charge and explosion,

' 21. These projections above stated.

may be fired in the well known manner in this type of engine.

The engine is preferably operated on what is known as the four-cycle principl'e,' namely, suction or admission of charge; compression of charge; explosion or power stroke; and exhaust.

Starting with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 2, the engine rotates in the direction indicated in the arrow in this figure. The cylinder in section may be considered in the position for firing. Uprliln t e cylinder would .be caused to rotate in the direction of thearrow. After the cylinder shown in section has traveled through an arc of 180, the exhaust valves will be opened, so that during the rotations through the next arc of 180, the. burnt gases may be discharged through the exhaust valve. The rotation through the following are of' 180 is the suction stroke, and as the cylindershown in the section returns to the position shownin this figure, the compression stroke occurs.

The cam 16 controlling the "exhaust valves, is formed with suitable pro ections are so positioned on the cam 16, as to operate in successionupon the exhaust valves in alternate cylinders, to open the exhaust valves at the intervals In order to control the amount of' com-' pression and regulate the speed of the en.-. gine, especially in. the starting of the engine, I have provided means for relieving the compression, or a portion of the cinnpression, during the compression sttililie of the cylinders. As herein shown, I relieve' the compression in the cylinders by devices operating upon the exhaust'valves during the compression stroke, in the respective cylinders. Said devices consist of a non? rotating cam 22, which is'pivoted at 23 to a supporting plate 24, which is stationary. This cam 22 is formed with a cam face 2a, which is adapted at certain times to cooperate with a projecting part 25 of the lever 15, which controls the exhaust valve in each cylinder.

The pivoted cam 22 is formed with a segmental gear 26, and a pinion 27 which is manually controlled, engages said segmental gear, and may be usedto swing the cam 22 about its pivotal support 23, and vary the position thereof relative to the cam 16, which controls the levers attached to the exhaust valves. The cam face 24: is curved on a smaller radius than the concentric portion of the cam 16. This ca nif22 may be positioned so as to be entirely out of the path of the levers 15, controlling the exhaust valves. By turning the pinion 27, the cam face 2 f may be moved so as to be broug'ht into contact with said 22 is moved away levers is eccentric and formed on asmaller radius 15. Inasmuch as this cam face 24' the levers 15 and the cam face as will depend upon the position of the non-rotating cam 22. The greater the distance said cam from the center of rotation of the engine, the longemvill be the time of contact with the levers -15. This cam 22, which is stationary relative to the rotation of the cylinders,'is so positioned as to engagethe levers 15 during the compression stroke. The cam projections 21 project beyond the extreme position of the cam face 24:, so as to operate upon the'levers. 15 to open the exhaust valves of the cylinders which are discharging the though this time of opening the exhaust valves in these cylinders occurs just in advance of the compression stroke in the alternate adjacent cylinders. the effective time of the cam 24 on the levers 15 of the cylinders which are compressing the gases, occurs between two projections 21 operating to open the exhaust valves in thei pyliiiders which are exhaust- 1ng. i

It will readily be seen that by shifting the cam .22 toward and from the center of rotation of the engine, that the exhaust valves may be opened momentarily, or held open,

during the early part, of the compression In other words,

burnt gases, al 7 stroke or ,otherwise manipulated, s9 as to vary the amount ders. This varying of thea'mount of compression infthe-cylinders is of naain value in starting the engine, pression, so that'the engine may cranked, and also caIfses the en e to start up gradually under-low compres ion, which maybe increased as the engine speeds up.

of compressgon in the cylins as it relieves the combe readily.

\ While I have shown the invention as applied to a seven-cylmder rotating gas engine, it is obvious that the same is applicable to gas engines Having thus described my invention, what from certain aspects having any number of cylexhaust valve, 1t

I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A rotary eylinder gas engine, including in combination a casing, ,a plurality of cyl-.

inders carried thereby, intake and exhaust valves for each cylinder, a rotating cam for controlling said exhaust valves to discharge the burnt gases, a non-rotating cam, and manually controlled means for positioning said cam for opening the exhaust valves in turn during compression for regulating the speed of the engine.

2. A rotary cylinder gas engine, includingin con'ibinatien a casing, a plurality of cylinders carried thereby, intake and exhaust valves for each cylinder, a rotating cam for controlling said exhaust valve to discharge the burnt gases, a non-rotating cam, manually controlled means for positioning said cam for opening the exhaust valves in turn during compression for regulating the speed of the engine, said manually controlled means including devices whereby the position of the non-rotating cam may be shifted radially relative to the rotation of the easing, whereby the time that the exhaust va ves are held opened may be varied.

3. A rotary cylinder gas engine, includ ing in co1nbination a casing, a plurality of cylinders carried thereby, intake and exhaust valves for each cylinder, a rotary cam for controlling the said exhaust valves to discharge the burnt gases, a member movable radially of the casing, a cam carried thereby and adapted to operate upon the exhaust valves in turn for opening the same, said cam being so disposed as to open said valvesduring compression, whereby a portion of the gases in the cylinder may be allowed to escape, and manually controlled means for shifting said member radially of the casing.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES LEE SIMMONS.

Witnesses C. L. STUn'rnvANT, A. M. PARKINS.

Go is: of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. G. 

